While many couples decide to start a family through the conventional means of a woman in the relationship allowing pregnancy to occur, this isn’t always an option for all couples. Some people have medical issues that would either create unacceptable risks for the mother and baby or may make pregnancy no longer possible due to earlier life-saving surgical interventions.
However, an alternative to this, aside from adoption, is surrogacy, where another woman allows herself to become pregnant on behalf of a hopeful family. Once birth occurs, the newborn is then united with the hopeful parents so that a new life together as a family can begin. But while surrogacy is something that can technically happen just about anywhere in the world, many couples are now choosing Tbilisi as their city of choice to undertake a successful surrogacy experience. Why are they choosing this city?
Where Is Tbilisi?
Tbilisi is the capital of the European nation of Georgia. Georgia itself is in Europe’s east, bordered by the Black Sea to the west, and countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan to the south and east. In the annals of world history, Georgia’s extreme eastern geography made it an important gateway for overland trade. The country was once part of the famous “silk road” that traders used to move goods back and forth between Europe and China strictly by land.
As a result, Georgia has a rich history of cultural mixtures and has a culture, language, and even currency all its own, as it is not yet a part of the European Union. However, Georgia has remained competitive with the global scene as a nation. As its capital city, Tbilisi is like many other cosmopolitan urban centers around the globe. It is a dynamic city with a busy financial center, vibrant nightlife, easy access to modern amenities, and a broad spectrum of fine dining experiences to suit an array of different tastes.
At the same time, like Georgia, Tbilisi balances the modern with the historical. This country has not forgotten its roots, and museums archive the region’s history. At the same time, Georgia’s language, currency, and culture remain strong in the people who live here. As with the very best of global cities, it provides familiar, safe, modern urban experiences to visitors while at the same time retaining its own distinct cultural identity for people to learn about and embrace.
Tbilisi As A Surrogacy Destination
There are many reasons why some couples choose to go abroad if they wish to find a suitable surrogacy candidate. One of the most common reasons is a desire for compensated surrogacy, which the residential country doesn’t legally allow. For example, the United Kingdom and Canada only legally permit “altruistic surrogacy” within their own borders. This means surrogate mothers act voluntarily, with only a little coverage for living and medical expenses, making them far less common as willing participants.
Compensated surrogacy means that a surrogate mother receives significant financial recognition for her role. While this is more expensive, it also means that far more medically suitable women are willing to take the role. For people that want much more choice and are willing to invest, going abroad allows for that greater freedom of choice.
Currency Differences
Another reason people choose to go to Tbilisi is because of currency conversion rates; this is especially true for those using American dollars, as that currency goes much longer outside of its native region. Because Georgia is not a member of the European Union, Tbilisi and the rest of the country still use their own national currency. This also means that Tbilisi is not tied to the same fluctuations as the Euro, as it accepts Euros, which is not the country’s primary currency.
For foreign couples, this can often mean that their primary currency will go a long way when used in Tbilisi instead of their country of residence. So while traveling may be more expensive, there is less actual expenditure when choosing surrogacy in Tbilisi.
World-Class Medical Industry
One of the most important reasons to consider Tbilisi as a destination is the country’s cost-effectiveness without any medical compromises. Tbilisi has access to modern, cutting-edge medical staff and facilities, ensuring that surrogacy selection and prenatal care are up to the standards expected in developed nations.
Tbilisi clinics can also accommodate elaborate surrogacy requirements, such as having the lab facilities required for in vitro fertilization and the ability to safely receive cryogenically stored egg and sperm samples from other labs around the world, safely preparing them for use should the need arise. There is even a comprehensive, experienced legal framework to handle the specific requirements of citizenship different countries have for returning babies.
All this, combined with easy communication skills and a constitution that explicitly recognizes the custodial rights of hopeful parents, means that Tbilisi is a safe, cost-effective, and medically recommended destination for couples choosing the route of surrogacy to start their life as a family.